The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-01-27

to-dayf The past can never come
to us again. Several OF my acquaiu.
tances thought il very odd "Well,
you foolish fellow, TO go aud get
yourself killed !" they would say
ale doesn't know what be is doing"
How could they speak sol How do
such words agree with their mauuer
OF comprebendiug heroism and love
Of country? | represented in their
eyes all that, and yet they called me
a fool.
Here was on my way to Kisbe-
nioff, knapsack on my back, and all
the other military equipments, aAd
off I so With thousands Of my brotb-
ers, among whom many had come
like myself OF their own free will,
while others would gladly have re-
manned at home: Nevertheless they
marched like rs with their hearts in
the business, crossing whole coun-
tries. They will fight like us, per.
haps better. doing the duty consci-
eptiously. but they wonld abandon
oil to return, il discipline permitted
H..
| -------
A fresh breez, springs mp, the
grove is stirred, bird flies away.
tho stars grow pale, little white
clouds float in the sky. il is dawn
morning. The third day is begin
ming, bringing-how shall 1 say it ?
life or death for me!
The third. How many have I
still got to live! Not many, what.
ever happens, for I am very week,
and it seems to me that ! am able no
longer to get away from the corpse.
We shall soon be alike. The one
will be no moro repulsive than the
other. must drink. shall drink
three times a day, morning, noon,
and night.
The sun is up. His hinge disc ap-
pears through tho bushes; il is all
red red like blood. II will be very
warm to,day.
Neighbor, what OF you? You are
hideous already. Yes, he is a fear-
fnl sight. His hair is beginning to
fall ont, his skin growing palo and
yellow it is drawn so tightly on his
face that it has split behind bis ears,
where the worms are wriggliug and
crawling. His body is swollen enor-
'pously. What will the sun make Of
him to- day'
To remain lying near him becomes
intolerable. Cost what il will, must
get away, but how do it' I am still
able to lift my arm, open the flask
and drink, but to movo my inert and
ieavy body viii! try to with
draw myself little by little, il it be
not more than step an hour.
All the morning passes in these
efforts, the pain is intense, but what
Gun it do to me? ! have forgotten
ID cannot even represent to my
self any longer the SENSATIONS that
healthy man feels. l am, rs one
might say, naturalized to pain.
BY dint of unheard of exertions,
here | am, about five PAGES distant
from the corpse, in my old place.
Alas! have not enjoyed the fresh
air long, if one can call the air fresh
that is breathed two yards from n
cadaver. The wind changes, and
brings with it sitting odor that
fills me with nausea, my empty
stomach contracts so painfully that
| have internal spasms, and | am
thickly enveloped in pestiferous air.
| lose courage, and weep.
Broken down, annihilated, l lay
there almost without consciousness,
when all at once--was il an illusion
OF my disordered thoughts? No,
am not mistaken, there are voices
and tue stamping Of horses. Yes, I
hear them speaking. l was going TO
shout, but I restrained myself; for,
if they were Turks, what would hap-
pen7 They would add to my fright
ful sufferings, other agonies still
moro terrible. II makes ones hair
stand 10 read the pewsprpers. They
would fay my wounded legs, and
then burn them over q slow fire.
Still, il they would stop there hauds!
But theyare ingenious 10 their devil.
ish inventions /! II ia better to die in
the bushes than TO fall 10 their. But
il they were our peoplei Accursed
bushes that surround me like q wall
1t is impossible to SEQ through them.
10 single place there is on opening,
, thronUh which thara 10 N l;ataot